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Screen Media
FM3000 DOCUMENTARY: THEORY + PRACTICE
Module Guide Term 1 2014-15
Day Thursday (plus compulsory training sessions – see inside)
Time 14:00-17:00Room AA003
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Module detail
Credits 20Module leader Dr Piotr Cieplak
Additional teaching Media Production Centre ([email protected])And FTV subject technician
Assessment Method: Group Video andIndividual EssayProportion of marks:Video 50%, Essay 50%
Assessment Dates Video: Thursday 11th December 2014
Essay: Thursday 8th January 2015
Access to support material
Supporting material for this module is provided electronically via the University’s Blackboard system, including readings, useful forms, guides, and other information. You can gain access to the Blackboard system on the intranet via the following:
· https://blackboard.brunel.ac.uk/
Introduction/aims/objectives
In this module you will be introduced to documentary filmmaking and the historical and theoretical context in which it is produced. The term documentary refers to an incredibly rich and varied filmmaking practice, very possibly much broader than you have been exposed to up until now. In order to best acquaint students with the form, we teach production in the context of the historical trends and movements and the theoretical debates surrounding documentary. We believe that if you want to make interesting, original documentary, it is absolutely crucial that you learn where documentary film has been and where it is going. Along with developing practical skills, this module surveys some of the major movements and debates in documentary film history. It explores questions such as: What constitutes “documentary” and how have definitions of the practice changed over time? What are the various modes of documentary? What documentary techniques have been developed over time and how have they been used? What are the ethical dilemmas and the ideological questions implicit in various forms of documentary? By thoroughly integrating theory and practice in this module, students will develop the tools to produce informed, intelligent and creative films that contribute directly to critical cultural practice.
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AimsThis module aims to:
1) substantially develop the project of integrating cultural theory and video practice begun in Level Two module FM2001;
2) engage with select aspects from the history, diverse traditions and conceptualisation of documentary cinema, TV and video;
3) encourage greater insights into the nature of meaning production in the documentary genre via practical demonstration and written analysis;
4) encourage engagement in aspects of society beyond the immediate experience of student life.
ObjectivesOn completion of the module you will have:
1) demonstrated by your project submission a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between your own creative practice and appropriate aspects of the documentary genre;
2) explicated in your post-production critical analysis your conceptualisation of the video's relationship to the relevant theories, practitioners, themes and formal strategies of the documentary;
3) demonstrated a mature expertise in the production management skills necessary to complete a small group project and a more highly refined and creative use of technical skills than required for Level Two.
Learning outcomes
There are learning outcomes that you must achieve in order to be awarded the credits for this module. These learning outcomes are listed below:
1) Critical skills - accomplished textual analysis, application of appropriate theory and concepts, ability to reflect coherently and logically about your own practice;
2) Research skills - use of library and other suitable resources (newspapers and television news, for example), ability to look beyond film and television theory for other useful material;
3) Learning skills - comprehension of documentary theory, ability in applying it to your practice, absorbing lectures and reading around the subject;
4) Interpersonal skills - clarifying ideas in dialogue with other students, contributing to ideas and listening attentively to others, going through the process of collaboratively identifying problems and solutions, negotiating conflicting ideas within the group, logistics of group practice;
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5) Communication skills - ability to communicate needs and requirements to people outside the group from whom the group needs something (an interview, access to facilities etc.); through the essay, the ability to articulate what you have done in your practice;
6) Creative skills - exploration of documentary practice in relation to objectives, a degree of individuality in written conceptualisation of practice.
Personal and Key Skills
These are skills that you will develop in this module that are highly valued by employers and will help you in your personal and career development after graduating from Brunel:
Team work – working with others to develop your own video practice and ability to come to consensus and produce work on time as a group.
Planning and time management – organising your crew and preparing to present your work on time.
Independent study and initiative – working on your project outside of class time, thinking ahead, and being resourceful in the face of obstacles.
Research – reading from the reading list and taking the initiative to read up on your chosen style of filmmaking as well as watching and analysing relevant films from the library, the BFI, television, the cinema, and the Internet.
Public Speaking - presentation in front of an audience, clear, confident, energised and focused delivery.
Analysis – analysing the project (production and video) to improve for next time.
Method of teaching
This module will consist of a combination of lectures, workshops and tutorials. Students will work in groups of 4-5 crew members, and are expected to attend all taught sessions, workshops and tutorials. Several of the weeks also have self-directed exercises that you as either individuals or in your group are expected to conduct over the course of the week and present in class the following week.
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Week By Week Breakdown:
1 22/09/2014 To 26/09/2014
Lecture: What is documentary?Workshop:The Short Form Documentary Production
2 29/09/2014 To 03/10/2014
Lecture: Documentary Modes and TechniquesWorkshop: Group discussion and presentations
3 06/10/2014 To 10/10/2014
Lecture: The Voice of the DocumentaryWorkshop: Sound workshop + Interviewing Techniques
4 13/10/2014 To 17/10/2014
Lecture: Researching your projectWorkshop: Pitching your project
5 20/10/2014 To 24/10/2014 Tutorials6 27/10/2014 To 31/10/2014 Tutorials
7 03/11/2014 To 07/11/2014
Reading Week – no class but carry on working on your film
8 10/11/2014 To 14/11/2014
Lecture: Ideology and EthicsWorkshop: Screening Rushes
9 17/11/2014 To 21/11/2014
Lecture: Editing TechniquesWorkshop: Editing @ MPC
10 24/11/2014 To 28/11/2014 Editing11 01/12/2014 To 05/12/2014 Editing12 08/12/2014 To 12/12/2014 Video Due 11/12/14
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Compulsory technical training schedule
In addition to lectures and seminars on Thursday, all students are required to attend the following compulsory technical training sessions in the Media Production Centre (MPC) in the Lecture Centre, and AA003.
Week Date & Time Training2 Wednesday, 1st October 15.00-17.00 Camera –
AA1013 Wednesday, 8th October 14.00-17.00 Editing – MPC4 Wednesday, 15th October 14.00-17.00 Editing – MPC5 Wednesday, 22nd October 14.00-17.00 Editing – MPC
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WEEK BY WEEK TEACHING PROGRAMME
Week One (22-26 September)
Lecture: What is Documentary? What is documentary? What are its historical origins and how has it evolved over the years? An introduction to the documentary genre -- exploring a range of approaches and traditions. We will look at different ways to present a subject, concentrating particularly on visual story telling, issues of perspective and the representation of history.
Screening
Everything is Incredible (USA, Tim Skousen, Trevor Hill, Tyler Bastian, 2012)
Massacre at Murambi (France/USA, Sam Kaufmann, 2007) Lift (UK, Marc Isaacs, 2001) Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul (UK/Afghanistan, Orlando von
Einsiedel, 2010) Selected videos from past FM3000
Required Reading
“How Do Documentaries Differ from Other Types of Film?” in Bill Nichols, Introduction to Documentary (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010), pp. 20-41
Paul Ward, Documentary: The Margins of Reality, Wallflower Press, 2005, chapter 1: Defining Documentary
Michael Rabiger Directing the Documentary (Elsevier, 2004) Part I, Chapters 1-2 pp.3-50
Recommended Reading
Carl Plantinga “What is a Nonfiction Film?” Rhetoric and Representation in Nonfiction Film (Cambridge University Press, 1997) Chapter. 1, pp. 7-27
Jill Godmilow: “Kill the Documentary as We Know It” in Journal of Film & Video, Summer/Fall 2002, Vol.54, nos. 2-3, pp. 3-10 (available as a PDF on the web, just Google it)
Workshop: The Short Form Documentary Production
We will discuss the short form documentary and screen examples of documentaries made in FM3000 in previous years. There will be a brief introduction to all the elements of making a short documentary; from proposal writing, researching a subject, visualising the idea, narrative development, viability, obtaining access and permissions, using archival material, and sound design. We will cover practical aspects of documentary production such as: forming a crew, crew roles, the recce, shot lists, production schedules, etc.
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IMPORTANT
The class will break down into production teams of 4-5 people with whom you will work on the exercises and assignments for the whole term. Please note that as not all students are present for the first session, the composition of your group may change in the upcoming 2 weeks or so.
ASSIGNMENTS
Additionally, each group will be ascribed a documentary to watch over the next week. You will then analyse the ways in which this documentary conveys its subject (visually, aurally, through observation, narration, interview, archival footage, music, sound effects, etc.) and evaluate their effectiveness. Groups will make their brief presentations on the films in the workshop of week 2 (max. 10 minutes per film).
Week Two (29 Sept – 3 Oct)
Training session: Wednesday 1st October -- 15.00-17.00 in AA003
This is a compulsory camera training session that all students have to attend – otherwise they will not be able to book out equipment.
Lecture (Thursday 2nd October): Documentary Modes + Techniques
Bill Nichols divides documentary into 6 categories: Poetic, Expository, Observational, Reflexive, Participatory, Performative. We will examine aspects of each and consider the techniques involved.
Screening: Extracts from:
Chronicle of a Summer (France, Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin, 1960) Dont Look Back (US, D.A. Pennebaker, 1967) Housing Problems (UK, Edgar Anstey + Arthur Elton, 1935) Man with a Movie Camera (Soviet Union, Dziga Vertov, 1929) Night and Fog (France, Alain Resnais, 1955) Primary (USA, Robert Drew, 1960) Tarnation (USA, Jonathan Couette, 2003) Encounters at the End of the World (USA, Werner Herzog, 2007) The Beaches of Agnès (France, Agnès Varda, 2008)
Required Reading
Bill Nichols, Introduction to Documentary (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010), Chapters 6 and 7.
R ecommended Reading:
C. Plantinga, “The Mirror Framed: A Case for Self-Expression in Documentary”, Wide Angle, vol. 13 no 2, April 1991
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J. Ruby, "The Image Mirrored: Reflexivity and the Documentary Film," in New Challenges for Documentary, Alan Rosenthal ed. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1988).
Seminar: We will continue the discussion of different documentary modes and traditions – we will in particular focus on the observational mode in preparation for your assignment. We will also hear the presentations prepared by each of the production groups.
ASSIGNMENT (Outside class-time)
Meet with your production group and choose a simple action or activity to shoot observationally. It must be an activity that can be depicted (with a sense of beginning middle and end) in 5 minutes or less (so don’t choose a whole football game, for instance). Do not set it up; it is meant to be observed, not constructed. The objective is to hone not only your practical skills (camera, sound) but your observational and directorial skills, identifying something dynamic and visually interesting that can be observed with the camera and conveyed meaningfully. During the week you must get together and shoot this activity with particular attention to how to capture it most effectively using strictly observational techniques. Remember to reserve equipment for the time you have arranged to shoot.
STRICT GUIDELINES: You may not ask any questions of your subject or direct them for the camera (it doesn’t have to be a human subject), nor can you add anything to the soundtrack that was not originally in the scene, though you should pay attention to recording the sound well. You may edit in-camera or try your hand at editing the material in the edit suites if you feel confident to do so. The end result should be a 3-5 minute video exercise to be shown in class in week 4.
Pointer: Details and close ups work very well in observational filming.
Week Three (6-10 Oct)
Editing training session at MPC - Wednesday, 8th October 14.00-17.00
Lecture (Thursday 9th October): The Voice of the Documentary
Sound is crucial in documentary film. There is often heavy reliance on the spoken word in a documentary, whether in an interview, an observed conversation, or commentary. In addition, ambient sound, music, and even sound effects play a distinct role in what Nichols calls ‘the voice of the documentary’. This is imperative to note not only in terms of developing a sophisticated sound design for your project, but in understanding how documentary ‘speaks’.
Screening:
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Extracts from: Night and Fog (France, Alain Resnais, 1955); Grizzly Man (USA, Werner Herzog, 2005) Sunless (France, Chris Marker, 1983) Night Mail (UK, Harry Watt, Basil Wright, 1936) Iseta: Behind the Roadblock (Rwanda, Juan Reina, 2007)
Required Reading
Bill Nichols, Introduction to Documentary (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2010), Chapter 3
“Narration: the Film and its Voice” in Stella Bruzzi, New Documentary: a Critical Introduction, pp. 40-65
Recommended Reading
J. K. Ruoff, “Conventions of Sound in Documentary” in R. Altman (ed.) Sound Theory Sound Practice (Routledge, 1992)
Workshop: Interviewing and Sound
We will explore the use of different microphones and techniques for recording on location, as well as reviewing interviewing strategies and techniques and you will do a short sound exercise. Staff from Media Services will come over to show you the use of available mics – this is a compulsory training session.
ASSIGNMENT (outside class-time)
Each student working on her/his own:
Research an idea for final project and ensure you can easily get access to any contributors, locations and archives you may need to make the video. Try to think of something unusual, a story with a lead character or two (could be more), but not a news item. The one stipulation is that the idea should be based around Uxbridge—which does, of course, include most of London. In other words, it has to be a relatively local production.
Do you know of or can you find an interesting character who does something you’d like to show the world? Perhaps you’d like to research an event or situation that would make for a good film? Can you find a story you feel needs to be told? Get onto Google, go to the local council, go to a neighbourhood and talk to different shop keepers, ask a taxi driver or bar tender about things they’ve heard about, find local newspapers that might lead you to groups that do interesting things, or local people who might be doing something you could film?
Good documentaries are not lectures or slide shows, they are meant to be engaging visual/aural explorations of an idea, a perspective, a story, and/or a character. The video should be about something that enriches our perception of the world, reveals something to us that is not immediately obvious, and/or opens our eyes to a way of seeing something familiar anew. These are the kinds of things we’d like to see.
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Type up initial proposal (one side of A4) to be read by members of the group and the module leader. Your group will select among the proposals next week.
Make 5 copies of your proposal to present to the group in the workshop in week four.
Week Four (13-17 Oct)
Editing training session at MPC - Wednesday, 15h October 14.00-17.00
Lecture (Thursday 16th October): Research Methods
In this session, we will explore approaches to researching and scriptwriting your documentary including commentary/voice-over. We will explore professional research methods and production scheduling. Reading• Michael Rabiger, Directing the Documentary, Part 5 and 6 pp. 207-406
Recommended Reading• R. Kilborn & J. Izod, An Introduction to Television Documentary: Confronting Reality (Manchester University Press, 1997). Ch 8 - "How do they do it? Aspects of Documentary Production"
Workshop: Pitching your project
PART 1
We will have a look at your observational exercises.
PART 2
Working in production groups students will do the following:
1. You will each pitch your proposal to production group. The group then votes to choose one proposal to be shot and one other as contingency. Clarify the focus of the project. Discuss possible style/techniques to be used.
Note: Selection criteria of a project should be based on: a) Viability: can this project be researched and shot in the time
allotted; b) Originality of the Idea; the world doesn’t need one more student
documentary about binge drinking, gambling, graffiti, or football fans;
c) Clarity of Focus; grand ideas or themes don’t come across well in short documentaries, so try to steer away from abstract ideas like ‘poverty’ or ‘global warming’ and instead focus on individual stories that can bring such themes alive using specific examples;
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d) Strong Visual Component; try to think of something that can be conveyed with a minimum of talking and a maximum of observation or visual communication. You are not writing an article you are making a film.
The module leader reserves the right to veto any project deemed to be unviable or to exceed health and safety limits.
2. Prepare draft schedule for pre-production, production and post-production.
3. Allocate pre-production tasks and identify further research needed e.g. of locations, of relevant background material, of music, of photos or archive footage. Draw up development plan.
4. Finalise production roles.
Weeks Five + Six (20 – 24 Oct + 27 - 31 Oct)
Editing training session at MPC - Wednesday, 22nd October 14.00-17.00
Tutorials:Each production group will have a tutorial in both of these two weeks in order to discuss progress, clarify aims and air problems. Time slots will be allotted within the usual session time.
In week 5, the group should come prepared with pre-production planning and be ready to talk about their idea(s). Present draft proposal, schedule, development plan to your tutor.
In week 6 we will aim to finalize your production schedule and refine your ideas. We can discuss any technical and or conceptual obstacles you might foresee.
All students are expected to attend tutorials. These meetings are vital to the development of your production and arguably the most important part of your documentary’s preparation. Non-attendance could lose you marks.
Production time:
After the first tutorial session you should be prepared to move into production mode - scripting, researching, interviewing (if applicable), shooting etc. As a very approximate guide, you should be aiming to plan and research your production during October and shoot and edit in November and December. However, there are clear overlaps between these two processes (shooting of certain elements might start almost immediately, for example) and each group will have their own plan of action. Time invested in careful planning and research will pay off when you come to shoot and edit your video. It will also help when you come to write your critical analysis.
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Important Note: If you intend to shoot on campus, you should comply with University guidance and regulations available here: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/7426/F-and-P-guidelines_14.pdf
If you plan to shoot in a Gaskell Building classroom, please contact Sue Chilton for assistance ([email protected] or 01895 267104).
Week Seven (3-7 Nov) – Reading Week
Self-directed: This week you should continue the production of your video project with your group. In week 8 your group will bring in highlights of footage that you have shot for the class to see. Select footage that you particularly want feedback on and/or that gives some insight into your project. Expect to screen no more than 20 minutes of raw footage to the class.
Week Eight (10-14 Nov)
Lecture: Ideology and Ethics
In this week’s lecture we will consider the very pressing and relevant issues around ethics that inevitably arise in the act of making a documentary. Even the most innocuous seeming documentaries are shot through with ideological assumptions, and some of the most successful and popular documentaries ride the line of highly questionable ethics. We will look at some examples and discuss the issues arising, with special attention given to your own particular concerns for your projects.
Screening: Extracts from:
Tarnation (USA, Jonathan Couette, 2003) The Power of Nightmares (UK, Adam Curtis, 2004) Benefits Street (UK, Chanel 4, prod. Kevin Hull, 2014) The March of the Penguins (France, Luc Jaquet, 2005) Night and Fog (France, Alain Resnais, 1955) Portrait of Jason (USA, Shirley Clarke, 1967)
Reading•M. Wayne, Theorising Video Practice (Lawrence and Wishart, 1997). Ch 8 - "Documentary".
•B. Winston, "Not a Lot of Laughs: Documentary and Public Service" in M. Wayne (ed.) Dissident Voices: The Politics of Television and Cultural Change (Pluto Press 1998)
Recommended Reading•L. Ouellette, "Camcorder Do's and Don'ts: Popular Discourses on Amateur Video and Participatory Television" in The Velvet Light Trap no. 36, 1995
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Workshop: Students should come prepared to show no more than 20 minutes of raw footage shot the week before to the entire class. This session will be used to critique material, discuss what works and what could work better. Groups will then convene to continue to strategise and plan their production.
Week Nine (17-21 Nov)
Lecture: Editing Techniques and Critical AnalysisThis session covers post-production strategy. We review the stages of an edit: the assessment of rushes, revision of original treatment; creating an assembly and moving through to fine cut; the use of sound; how to use still images; how to develop a structure.
We will also discuss what should be included in your critical analyses.
Workshop: Editing Techniques ContinuedThe workshop will be held in the MPC editing suites. By now you will have had your edit training and will also have raw footage from your project. Come prepared with some of your rushes (unedited footage) to work with.
You will work in your groups to select, digitize, and begin to edit the material you’ve shot. The best way to learn editing is to work with your own footage. If you’ve already begun to edit your project, this will be an opportunity to continue refining your edit. I will go around to each edit suite to monitor your progress and give feedback. Please make sure that you book a suite for this session.
Reading• Michael Rabiger, Directing the Documentary, Part 7 pp. 407-498
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Week Ten-Twelve (24 Nov-13 Dec)–No Lectures—Edit Tutorials in MPC Suites
By week 10 you must begin editing in earnest if you intend to finish on time. You must reserve edit slots for each FM 3000 class session (weeks 10 + 11). I will be making the rounds of the edit suites during our timetabled meetings, as you work on your projects in your groups. By week 10, we will no longer meet formally. I will be available during class times to consult. Be sure to stay in close email contact with me to update me on your editing times and your progress.
Self-directed:
Continue post-production work. Edit together with your group. Decide on the best method of working. You may choose to have the editor and asst. editor make a cut and then meet up as a group to discuss and make changes, or you may decide to work collectively throughout the process (which inevitably takes longer but involves all members). Choose the most efficient and fair method for your group. Ensure that you have any music you wish to use on CD and have any necessary permissions.
Editing time:Please note that, as with FM2001, it is up to you to liaise with MPC as regards availability of edit suites (or any other equipment for that matter) during the course of your production. Be sure to reserve you edit slots in advance, as they do get booked up. Do not leave editing — or reserving your edit suite to the last minute.
On this module you have 14 edit slots and one additional output session. With careful organization and time management, you should certainly be able to complete your video in this time. Please remember that resources are limited, and planning your production carefully can help avoid needing to spend masses of time in the edit suites. Clearly labelling files/footage as you shoot it (i.e. making a clear note of what shots are where, their duration, alternative takes, other comments) will save time when you come to do the actual editing. Do not expect unlimited time slots in the suites: each group's bookings will be carefully monitored.
The final thing to note about editing is: if you book a slot in the edit suite and do not turn up, it will be noted (the same applies to latecomers). Booking a suite and not turning up wastes everyone's time: inform MPC immediately if you cannot make an appointment, as others may be able to use that time slot.
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THE DEADLINE FOR THE VIDEO:Thursday 11th December 2014, 13:00
The following are important notes from MPC:
All projects will be shot on HD cameras.
Students will be able to use Media Service’s facilities to transfer multiple formats if using 'found' footage. The formats supported are mini-DV and HD. If you have footage on VHS, you will have to bring it to MPC to be converted: this can take from 48-72 hours, so bring it in early. No other tape or disc formats can be supported.
We support projects edited on Final Cut Pro 7. If your group wishes to edit at home, MPC may be able to offer technical support and answer questions if needed but you must check with MPC as to what programme you’re working on and whether they can support it.
Students will be booked into one edit suite and this will be their "home" for the duration of their projects. Edit suite bookings, once made, can only be re-arranged IN ADVANCE, to a different session. Once the session has started, you cannot change it. Student teams who fail to turn up for a booking will forfeit their edit session.
All audio for projects will have to be supplied on the source HD or mini DV's, on a CD, or digital file (WAV). There will be no facility for audio supplied on other formats.
Students will be supplied with the MPC handbook upon registration, and then guides for the kit you take out.
Student teams will be given a set (maximum) number of editing sessions (14 for this module)which cannot be exceeded even within deadline extensions.
All final projects should be submitted on a DVD or USB stick (preferably the latter). You must hand in 2 copies of the final project in the foyer of the Gaskell Building. Also, be sure to provide the Film and TV technician a Quicktime copy of your project for our archives.
**********************MPC CONTACT INFORMATION:Direct Line: +44 (0)1895 266355
Email: [email protected] Hours:
KIT COLLECTION/RETURNS/TECHNCIAL SUPPORT: M-F 9-5 (closed for lunch 12.30-13.30)
EDIT SUITE: M-Th 9am-8.30pm; F 9-5 (open through lunch)
Bookings made by email, phone or in person at reception.
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Core Readings (in addition to the week-by-week readings)
There is a wide range of reading covering many aspects of the documentary field. You should aim to read as much – and as widely – as possible. Essential and recommended readings are detailed below in the schedule. If we were to recommend any books for you to actually purchase, they would be:
B. Nichols Introduction to Documentary Indiana University Press, 2001.
This is clear, concise and covers a great deal. It is central to much of what we look at during the course of the semester.
P. Ward Documentary: The Margins of Reality Wallflower Press, 2005.
A brief introduction examining how we define documentary and analysing some often-overlooked aspects of the form (documentary and comedy, animation, some new thoughts on reconstruction and re-enactment). Not flagged up in specific weeks, but useful for most of them.
Michael Rabiger Directing the Documentary Fourth Edition, Elsevier, 2004.
One of the best books on documentary production available. Consult with it often and you will be in good stead for producing your project.
Other useful books, for possible purchase, are:
S. Kochberg (ed) Introduction to Documentary Production Wallflower Press, 2002.
Very useful book that talks through practice and theory in relation to (student) documentary production.
J. Roscoe & C. Hight Faking It: Mock-documentary and the subversion of factuality Manchester University Press, 2001.
This looks at a more specific sub-area within documentary, but is very accessible.
J. Corner, The Art of Record (Manchester University Press, 1996).
An excellent overview, which takes a ‘case study’ approach to specific films.
R. Kilborn & J. Izod, An Introduction to Television Documentary: Confronting Reality (Manchester University Press, 1997).
A clearly-written account, examining institutions and specific documentary film and programmes.
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Additional Recommended Reading/Viewing
Although you will encounter many extracts throughout the module and have a good deal of reading already noted in the schedule above, it is vital that you take responsibility for researching your own production. This will mean actively seeking out readings and textual examples that are especially relevant to your group's video. Aside from obvious strategies, such as monitoring/recording TV news and documentaries, or spending time researching at the BFI or the Public Records Office (to name but two potentially useful avenues), a partial bibliography of books and articles will be provided to you. It is not meant to replace your own literature search, but rather to help facilitate it.
All students are expected to view documentaries of their choosing every week outside of class. You should expect to immerse yourself in the documentary form by finding relevant (topical and aesthetic) documentaries for your preparation and research. This is crucial in developing your own approach to the documentary form. It will also reflect well on your research for your critical essay. If you would like any particular recommendations, ask the module leader.
There are several venues in and around London that specialize in documentary screenings, which you should plan to visit. Check the screening schedules of these venues regularly and plan to attend whenever an interesting documentary is screening:
DocHouse: http://www.dochouse.org/BFI: http://www.bfi.org.uk/ICA: http://www.ica.org.ukBarbican: http://www.barbican.org.uk/film
Curzon Cinemas: http://www.curzoncinemas.comRitzy Cinema—Brixton: http://www.ritzycinema.co.uk/cinema_home_date.aspx?venueId=ritzRio Cinema––Dalston: http://www.riocinema.ndirect.co.uk/Roxy Bar and Screen––London Bridge: http://www.roxybarandscreen.com/
Also, you may want to use these websites as resources to find interesting historical or contemporary documentaries, especially shorts, and also filmmakers discussing documentary filmmaking:http://www.channel4.com/fourdocs/http://www.shortoftheweek.com/http://www.documentary.org/http://www.nfb.ca/playlist/capturing-reality-art-documentary/
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Assessment Guidelines
1. The Video (50% value): Due Thursday 11th December 2014
Each group will produce a 10-15 minute video. 15 minutes is the absolute maximum. Marks will be deducted if your video exceeds this length. The video will be marked for the coherence of intentions which it displays; for its ambitiousness; for its grasp of appropriate documentary strategies; for original aspects in content and/or form; and for its technical competence in terms of sound, image, graphics and editing.
The assumption is that your documentary has to be shot within a 15 mile radius of Brunel University London. The purpose of this is not only to limit the distances travelled so as to make the project more viable for group work, but also to encourage your investigation of interesting, unusual, or otherwise film-worthy subjects in your locale. If you have a very strong subject that does not fulfil the criterion, you will have the opportunity to make your case. But the final decision will rest with the module leader. We prefer that your subject NOT be focussed on something to do with Brunel student life per se, but rather that you open your sights outward to the community and environment around you.
The group video is worth 50% of the total mark, with each group member receiving the same mark, unless in exceptional circumstances, it is determined by the module leader that a group member has not participated as fully as others.
It is therefore essential that groups work together as teams, and resolve any difficulties promptly. One of the learning outcomes of the module is collaboration (interpersonal skills and communication skills), which means that being able to recognise different contributions to the project as equally worthwhile is part of what this module intends to teach, as well as being able to work productively with a range of people.
Assessment Criteria for Video
First ClassEvidence of very substantial research; analytical and probing in relation to the subject matter and/or the formal strategies and conventions of documentary genres; formally sophisticated and/or imaginative and/or excellent deployment of recognised conventions; very coherent and ambitious in intentions; technically excellent or near excellent.
Upper SecondEvidence of good research; good investigation into subject matter and/or documentary strategies/conventions but with some missed opportunities; evidence of audio-visual imagination and/or proficiency; coherent and moderately ambitious; technically good.
Lower SecondSome evidence of research, but a bit limited; a fair investigation of subject matter, but lacking sustained probing; generally competent audio-visually but
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some technical deficiencies and/or lack of imagination in range/complexity of techniques and conventions; not always coherent in its intentions or ambitions.
Third ClassVery limited evidence of research and application of documentary concepts; some evidence of an appropriate idea, but superficial investigation of subject matter and its context(s); some considerable technical deficiencies; recognition of how to deploy some documentary conventions, but limited in application; substantially lacking in coherent intentions and ability to put documentary theory into practice.
FailLittle or no evidence of research or effort; little or no investigation of subject matter; technically very poor; little or no understanding of the conventions of any documentary traditions, nor how to apply them in your own practice; virtually no coherent intentions.
2. Essay: A Critical Analysis (2000 words; 50% value)Due Thursday 8th January 2014
NB: This is an individual piece of work
A critical analysis of your documentary
How you approach the essay is up to you, but some or all of the points below may be relevant. Be sure you make reference to relevant readings and films, citing them using proper academic referencing formats.
Areas you may wish to cover in your critical analysis are:
the context in which the viewers are watching the video (does it address some contemporary problems/issues?)
how does you documentary employ/challenge formal strategies you’ve observed in other films?
how is your documentary situated within the history/theory of documentary filmmaking? How does it relate to other documentary films?
textual analysis of the documentary's signifying practices (a close reading of your formal strategies that attempt to communicate ideas beyond, or in support of, what is being communicated in words)
what questions of representation does it evoke? (were you able to challenge stereotypes?; were there any particular challenges you faced and/or attempted to overcome in terms of representing your topic and/or characters?)
does the documentary raise any issues or problems for the documentary genre and/or theory of documentary? (did you encounter limits to your
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conception to the documentary form, and/or did you find your ideas about documentary expanding —or contracting–– in the process of making your work?)
Be sure to be self-reflective and even critical of your work. This is not a promotional essay, it is meant to situate your work in the field of documentary (theory and practice) that you have encountered this term, through lectures, screenings (in class and outside of class), and importantly, readings.
Brunel University Undergraduate Grade Descriptors
Grade A*Clearly demonstrates a highly sophisticated, critical and thorough understanding of the topic. Provides clear evidence of originality and independence of thought and clearly demonstrates exceptional ability to develop a highly systematic and logical or insightful argument, solution or evaluation at the current Level. Demonstrates exceptional ability in the appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies, practices, tools, etc., to analyse and synthesise at the current Level. Shows an exceptionally high level of clarity, focus and cogency in communication at the current Level.
Grade Band A (A+, A, A-)Clearly demonstrates a sophisticated, critical and thorough understanding of the topic. Provides evidence of independence of thought and clearly demonstrates the ability to develop a highly systematic and logical or insightful argument, solution or evaluation at the current Level. Demonstrates excellence in the appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies, practices, tools, etc., to analyse and synthesise at the current Level. Shows a high level of clarity, focus and cogency in communication at the current Level.
Grade Band B (B+, B, B-)Clearly demonstrates a well-developed, critical and comprehensive understanding of the topic. Provides some evidence of independence of thought and clearly demonstrates the ability to develop a systematic and logical or insightful argument, solution or evaluation at the current Level. Demonstrates a high degree of competence in the appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies, practices, tools, etc., to analyse and synthesise at the current Level. Shows clarity, focus and cogency in communication at the current Level.
Grade Band C (C+, C, C-)Demonstrates a systematic and substantial understanding of the topic. Demonstrates the ability to develop a systematic argument or solution at the current Level. Demonstrates a significant degree of competence in the appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies, practices, tools, etc., to analyse and synthesise at the current Level. Provides evidence of clarity and focus in communication at the current Level.
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Grade Band D (D+, D, D-)Provides evidence of a systematic understanding of the key aspects of the topic. Demonstrates the ability to present a sufficiently structured argument or solution at the current Level. Demonstrates an acceptable degree of competence in the appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies, practices, tools, etc., to analyse and synthesise at the current Level. Provides evidence of effective communication at the current Level.
Grade Band E (E+, E, E-)Provides evidence of some understanding of key aspects of the topic and some ability to present an appropriate argument or solution at the current Level. Demonstrates some competence in the appropriate use of the relevant literature, theory, methodologies, practices, tools, etc at the current Level. Provides some evidence of effective communication at the current Level. However, there is also evidence of deficiencies which mean that the threshold standard (D-) has not been met.
Grade FWork that is unacceptable.
Assessment Criteria
Indicative Mark Band
Degree class equivalent
Grade Grade Point
90 and above
1 A++ 17
80-89 1 A+ 1673-79 1 A 1570-72 1 A- 1468-69 2.1 B+ 1363-67 2.1 B 1260-62 2.1 B- 1158-59 2.2 C+ 1053-57 2.2 C 950-52 2.2 C- 848-49 3 D+ 743-47 3 D 640-42 3 D- 538-39 Fail E+ 433-37 Fail E 330-32 Fail E- 229 and below
Fail F 1
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Submitting your work
In order to be marked without penalty for lateness, work must always be handed in before 1.00 p.m. on the day it is due.
It should be submitted with an official blue cover sheet (available in the foyer of the Gaskell Building).
Y our work must be date stamped in 4 places 1. on the blue cover sheet2. on the front page of your work3. on the last page of your work 4. and a page in the middle of your work.
The assignment and the attached cover sheet should be “posted” in the appropriate coursework collection box in the foyer of the Gaskell Building.
You must add your student number to the top of every page of your work. You must NOT write your name on the pages of your work.
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF COURSEWORK:You are also required to submit an electronic copy of every piece of written work. This electronic version must be submitted within 48 hours (2 working days) of the coursework submission date.
Your work is to be submitted through Blackboard.
If work is submitted late, penalties will be uniformly applied, in the absence of accepted relevant mitigating circumstances.
Feedback on your work
Coursework and feedback will be posted to your term time address. If the deadline is at the end of the term it will be posted to your permanent home address. Please check your addresses are correct on e-Vision to ensure it is sent to the right place.
Academic staff aim to grade work and provide detailed and constructive feedback, normally within three weeks of the hand-in date. However, there may be delays for work submitted at the end of terms and for modules that have particularly high numbers, although you will be notified via your Brunel webmail account if this is the case.
If your piece of work is amongst a sample sent to an External Examiner, you will only receive your work when the External Examiner has returned it to us. However, you will still receive detailed and constructive feedback.
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Plagiarism
Plagiarism, the passing off ideas words, illustrations, ideas or other materials created by someone else as being one’s own ideas or words, is a very serious offence.
Student Support: Academic Skills Services (ASK)
Study skills support is offered in the Library. This covers a number of areas including:
Academic Writing; Critical Reading; Maths, Numeracy and Statistics; Time Management; Presentations and Seminars; Note Taking; and Critical Thinking.
For further details, please contact the Library or go to:
http://www.brunel.ac.uk/services/library/ask
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